Sso in volatile session or shared environment

Abstract

Apparatus and methods utilize a single-sign-on (SSO) framework on one or more physical or virtual computing devices. During use, it is determined whether SSO credentials are for use in a volatile session and / or for use amongst an application suite or a plurality of applications. In the former, the SSO credentials are either made temporarily available in a memory of the computing devices, if relatively high security is desired, or a credential store and its contents are made available to a disk, if relatively low security is acceptable. In the latter, the SSO credentials are shared during authentication of a single user as individual applications of the application suite or the plurality of applications are used or started independently. Other features contemplate credential lifetime, the destruction of credentials, timing of application usage relative to credentials as well as retrofitting existing SSO services. Computer program products and computing interaction are also disclosed.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]Generally, the present invention relates to computing environments involving single-sign-on (SSO) experiences. Particularly, although not entirely, it relates to SSO credential usage in a volatile session, such as per a defined length of time, while a computer is on, etc., and or for use amongst applications of an application suite or a plurality of (un)related applications. Other features contemplate credential lifetime, destruction of credentials, timing of application usage, and prompting users Retrofitting existing SSO services and providing computer program products and computing interaction, to name a few, are still other aspects.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Newer computer operating systems such as Linux, Windows XP, or Windows Vista provide multiple credential stores for network client applications' usage. These credential stores usually are utilized to provide mechanisms for software applications to securely store credentials for the user, and...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008]The foregoing and other problems become solved by applying the principles and teachings associated with the hereinafter-described SSO in volatile session or shared environment. At a high level, methods and apparatus utilize a single-sign-on (SSO) framework on one or more physical or virtual computing devices. During use, it is determined whether SSO credentials are used in a volatile session, such as definite length of time, while a computer is on, etc., and/or for use amongst applications of an application suite or a plurali...

Problems solved by technology

In any embodiment, however, there is no present mechanism that allow applications to share a set of common credentials for authentication purposes.

In turn, convenience and efficiency is lost since modification of credentials per a given application translates into needing to updating the credentials per other applications.

However, the suite is incapable of acquiring knowledge that a user might have already started other components of the software and has already authenticated to one or more other components.

In turn, user effort in coordinating credentials is high.

In such scenarios, however, no present mechanism safeguards the credentials, after use, other than manual destruction by users or applications.

Further, if the machine is borrowed by multiple users each having their own need to engage in an SSO session, nothing is available to allocate SSO credentials amongst the pluralities of users, each with their own safeguarding concerns.

Ultimately, nothing in existing SSO frameworks provides means to support shared credentials in a volatile session for security or other considerations or in shared hardware or software environments.

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